Soggy Morning Didn't Stop Grand Old Day Parade in St. Paul

The rain Sunday morning didn't stop St. Paul from partying in the streets, specifically one street, Grand Avenue for Grand Old Day.

The turn out looked a little smaller than years past but after a morning of active weather,

After early morning lightning strikes, marching band drum rolls were the closest thing to thunder booms at the Grand Old Day parade.

"It was sort of a crazy morning making sure everybody got set up. We were really careful, there was some lightning, we made sure we weren't doing anything when the lightning was happening," said Sue Evens, Executive Director of Grand Avenue Business Association.

The beer garden was supposed to be in the Pier One parking lot, but there's not very good drainage in that parking lot and the standing water was about calf deep. So event coordinators had to think quickly and move the beer garden across the street to the Walgreens' parking lot.

By the time the bagpipes signified the start of the parade, the wet weather vanished.

"We got really lucky with the timing with the weather that it quit just in time for us to get rolling and have the parade," Evens said.

The stage-hands set-up tents for live music, rain or shine, so long as there wasn't another round of lightning.

The Vulcans say they overthrew winter a little late this year, but the early morning rain was just their plan.

"Just cleaning the streets up, get all the dirt washed away, making sure it's nice and comfortable," said one Vulcan.

"All the little kids, even though it's raining, they're all smiling that's a good thing," said Ms. Blarney, Bree Barney.

And crowd favorite Choo Choo Bob guaranteed the parade would go on.

"I brought my megaphone out to ward off any storm cloud hazards, do not worry," said Choo Choo Bob.